Written questions by Coyle.

Whether his Department is considering piloting the youth guarantee scheme in London.

Our Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, testing innovative approaches to identify and deliver localised support to young people who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET are already underway in eight areas across England. Two of our Trailblazers are being delivered by the Greater London Authority, a ‘Pan London’ Trailblazer focused on better join-up of the systems supporting NEET young people including those with mental health conditions across London, and another delivering tailored support to young care leavers in 12 Central London Boroughs. We will use learning from the Trailblazers to inform future design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee. For long-term unemployed 18–21-year-olds on Universal Credit, the Jobs Guarantee scheme will provide six months of paid employment. This is part of the expanded Youth Guarantee, through which young people aged 16-24 across Great Britain are set to benefit from further support into employment and learning. Delivery of the Jobs Guarantee will begin in six areas from spring 2026. No areas in London are included in this initial phase; however, this will be followed by national roll-out across Great Britain, including in London.

How his Department is working with local authorities to ensure they are equipped to deliver the Crisis and Resilience Fund from 1 April 2026.

My Department has actively engaged with stakeholders on the design for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund through a structured co-design process. This has involved a representative group of local authorities, third-party organisations and academics. The concluding event on 22 October 2025 was attended by over 750 stakeholders. We plan to publish guidance in January 2026. Provisional allocations will be published as part of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, ahead of the scheme going live in April 2026.

How many people are waiting for a decision on their Access to Work scheme claim.

As of October 2025, there are 62,000 applications outstanding. We recognise the importance of reducing waiting times, which is why we have increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% in the last financial year.

Whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of linking Unique Property Reference Numbers to Universal Credit claims to help tackle fraud.

The Department is considering external data sources, including Unique Property Reference Numbers, that could be used to help address fraud and error that occurs in Universal Credit.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure flexibility in the workplace for people living with fluctuating conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS).

Employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, including workplace flexibilities, where a disabled person or person with a long-term health condition would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage. This includes chronic and fluctuating health conditions and disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The Equality and Human Rights Commission provides statutory guidance to employers covering this. DWP also provides tailored guidance through its Support with Employee Health and Disability online service and the Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces including guidance on flexible working. All employees have the existing right to request flexible working arrangements. The Employment Rights Bill is designed to make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted and would require employers to explain the basis for their decision where rejecting a request. The Keep Britain Working Review is currently establishing vanguards to explore innovative ways to support more disabled employees to stay in work.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy and accessibility of advice and support available for employers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

No assessment has been made. All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 not to unlawfully discriminate against disabled people and people with long term health conditions, including people with multiple sclerosis. This includes making reasonable adjustments where employees would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act and provides guidance to businesses and individuals, including the statutory Code of Practice on Employment. The Government also offers guidance to employers on supporting disabled people and people with health conditions in the workplace, through its Support with Employee Health and Disability service. The service was developed with input from smaller businesses and disability organisations and provides a step by step guide to supporting employees in workplace scenarios involving health and disability. This includes guidance on having conversations about health and disability, supporting employers to understand and respond to an employee’s individual needs, circumstances and capacities. This service is fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.

What steps he is taking to (a) maintain and (b) bolster the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme.

We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practises. We remain committed to reducing waiting times for claims, prioritising customers starting a job within the next four weeks. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.

What assessment his Department has made of (a) the causes of the reduction in foodbank use in this calendar year and (b) how this trend can be built upon.

The Government is committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We have already introduced the Fair Repayment Rate, reducing the Universal Credit overall deductions cap from 25% to 15% of a customer’s standard allowance, giving 1.2m households an average of £420 per year. In addition, we have also uprated benefit rates for 2025/26 in line with inflation, with 5.7 million Universal Credit households forecast to gain by an average of £150 annually. The Government has also taken further action to support low-income households including through the increase in the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April 2025, boosting the pay of 3 million workers. Ahead of Child Poverty Strategy publication in the autumn, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament and a new £1 billion package to reform crisis support, including funding to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry outside of term time. We have also announced £600 million to extend the Holiday Activity and Food Programme.

Whether the Timms Review into Personal Independence Payments will include assessments of the potential impact of proposed changes on levels of homelessness.

The Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, parliamentarians and other stakeholders to ensure a wide range of views and voices are heard. I have announced that the Review will be co-chaired by myself alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group made up of a majority of disabled people or representatives of disabled people’s organisations and recruited through an open and transparent Expression of Interest process. It will be for the Review’s steering group to determine how it runs and what it recommends. The Terms of Reference give the group a broad remit to set out its strategic direction, priorities and workplan.

When his Department plans to publish new guidance on the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

We plan to publish guidance for the Crisis and Resilience Fund in January 2026. Provisional allocations will be published as part of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, ahead of the scheme going live in April 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Motability vehicles benefit the person they are intended to support.

The Motability Foundation (Motability) is a registered charity, incorporated by Royal Charter, to help disabled people with their mobility and transport needs. Only those claimants in receipt of an eligible benefit can choose to join the Motability Scheme. When a claimant elects to join the Scheme, the Department directly transfers the mobility allowance to Motability Operations on behalf of the eligible claimant. Any misuse of a scheme vehicle is taken very seriously, and Motability Operations has a dedicated unit that works to prevent, detect and handle such cases, taking action as appropriate.

How her Department ensures the adequacy of Motability vehicles for users.

Motability Foundation is independent of government and regulated by the Charity Commission so is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme.As Motability is independent of government, the management of the scheme rests with them and their respective Boards of Governors. As such, any questions regarding the adequacy of Motability vehicles should be directed to the Motability scheme.

Whether her Department has plans to change supported housing rules and regulations to allow disabled people to work more hours if they can; and whether she has plans to (a) monitor and (b) enforce how employers implement reasonable adjustments to work practices for disabled people.

The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders. Despite this challenge, the Housing Benefit taper ensures a person is better off in work than wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence, as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health. It is recognised that employers play an important role in supporting disabled people and those with health conditions. Our support to employers includes a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident Scheme. Employers must comply with the Equality Act 2010, including making reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and job applicants. The Government keeps the Equality Act 2010 under review, but no formal review is planned at this time.

How much (a) housing benefit and (b) equivalent benefit as part of Universal Credit was paid to housing associations in each of the last three years.

The information requested for Universal Credit is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The information requested for Housing Benefit may be found by using the Detailed Housing Type and the Payment Destination fields in the “Housing Benefit - Data from April 2018” dataset in Stat-Xplore (Stat-Xplore - Log in (dwp.gov.uk)). Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html. An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore; the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions. The Department is working towards developing these statistics internally so that we will be in a position to answer similar Parliamentary Questions in the future.

If she will review her Department's use of the term customer for claimants.

The department keeps its policies and procedures under regular review, including how it communicates with users of its services.

If she will take steps to ensure that deductions from social security payments do not leave people in relative poverty.

The primary aim of deductions in Universal Credit is to protect customers by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of essential services, such as, housing, electricity and gas. The policy also enables social obligations, such as, paying Court Fines to be enforced when other repayment methods have failed, or are not cost effective, and ensures that benefit debt is recovered in a cost-effective manner. The Department has an established process to support anyone experiencing financial hardship and encourages customers unable to afford the proposed rate of repayment to contact DWP Debt Management at the earliest opportunity. Departmental agents will, where applicable, negotiate an affordable and sustainable repayment plan.   Furthermore, there is no limit on the number of times a person can request a change to their repayment rate. In exceptional cases, based on individual circumstances, a temporary suspension of recovery may be agreed. We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit, to make sure it is doing the job we want it to.

Whether she plans to meet with the Safe Sick Pay campaign to discuss the rate of Statutory Sick Pay.

My officials met with representatives from the Centre for Progressive Change to discuss measures to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay on the day of the Employment Rights Bill introduction. As announced in the Next Steps to Make Work Pay, the Government will shortly publish a consultation on what the percentage replacement rate for those earning below the current flat rate of Statutory Sick Pay should be. I welcome responses from the Centre for Progressive Change and other stakeholders to this consultation.

When the Occupational Health Taskforce (a) last met and (b) is scheduled to next meet.

As outlined in the previous Government’s response to the Occupational Health: Working Better consultation (published on 23 November 2023), an expert occupational health taskforce led by Dame Carol Black was established in February 2024 to explore the development of a new voluntary framework for OH provision. The taskforce last met on 26th April 2024 and Government is reviewing how best to progress the evidence, stakeholder views and insights gathered as part of the policy development previously undertaken for this work.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Christians Against Poverty entitled Deficit budgets: The cost to stay alive, published in September 2024.

We are committed to tackling poverty and good quality work will be the foundation of our approach. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty, but too many people are being denied the security and dignity that comes with being in good work. The Get Britain Working White Paper, to be set out in the Autumn, will develop measures to reduce inactivity and help people to find better paid and more secure jobs. Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce has started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025 and will explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. This will include listening to the voices of children living in poverty and their families. We need a modern and effective social security system that is fit for purpose which is why we have committed to reviewing Universal Credit and listening to the full range of views on potential changes. For those most in need, we have extended the Household Support Fund for a further 6 months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual. As has been done for previous schemes, the Fund is available to County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the cost of essentials.

How much (a) housing benefit and (b) UC equivalent allowance was paid directly to councils in each of the last three years.

The information requested for Universal Credit is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The information requested for Housing Benefit may be found by using the Detailed Housing Type and the Payment Destination fields in the “Housing Benefit - Data from April 2018” dataset in Stat-Xplore ((Stat-Xplore - Log in (dwp.gov.uk)). Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html. An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore; the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions. The Department is working towards developing these statistics internally so that we will be in a position to answer similar Parliamentary Questions in the future.